Enter a woven quilt of homespun tales that define Singapore, where threads of lives are spun together through our mutual communal ties.

Read about the individual projects under this showcase below:

SGEatWithUs Carnival & CookSG App LaunchBy CookSG

Food is a universal language, one that brings people from all walks of life together. Get the scoop on food memories of chefs and hawkers, as well as beloved local recipes crowdsourced through CookSG, an app produced by Big Red Button.

Theatre Memories – 50 Years of Singapore TheatreBy Jennifer Lim

Go behind the curtains and celebrate the diverse, enlightening and personal moments of 50 significant theatre practitioners. Theatre Memories – 50 Yearsof Singapore Theatre creates an informative,stimulating and playful experience to foster a wider appreciation and understanding of
Singapore’s vibrant theatre scene. Through a live Twitter feed, the general public is encouraged to contribute their memories to this interactive exhibition.

Theatre Memories – 50 years of Sing ExhibitionDate: 1 April 2015 – 12 April 2015 Location: The Art House

So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore RockBy fFurious

The local music scene has brought generations of Singaporeans together, giving our community a sense of identity, pride and shared memories unique to the nation. Organised by fFurious, So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock pays tribute to those who have contributed to Singapore’s vibrant music scene, through photographs, music artefacts and writings showcasing our local rock community’s finest moments across six decades.

So Happy: 50 Years of Singapore Rock Exhibition
Date: 8 April 2015 – 17 April 2015
Location: The SubStation

EEVA on the Road
By Rediffusion

Established in the 1940s, Rediffusion is Singapore’s first and oldest radio broadcaster. In EEVA on the Road, co-owner of Rediffusion Eeva Chang makes her way from the airwaves to the screen, as she delves into the lives of our nation’s pioneers to interview them and collect their stories.

Singapore Snaps: Preserving Precious MemoriesBy Singapore Snaps

Witness yesterday’s Singapore come to life in Singapore Snaps,an art project that reanimates history using 10,000 family photographs contributed by the public. Be sure to catch the three one-minute animations created by Tan Wei Keong, Gracie Teo and Samantha Tio, and take a trip through the past.

On the Road
By Sean Lee

Day in, day out, taxi drivers spend most of their waking hours plying the streets of Singapore. Witness the progress of our country through changes in the external landscape and passenger demographics, all as seen from their perspectives. In On The Road, photographer Sean Lee captures the memories of taxi drivers detailing the changes in our nation through archival materials, texts, interviews, videos and photographs.

Our stories may seem disparate from one another, but once these narrative threads are woven together, they form a collective memory that binds the community. Our Story That Binds is a website where you can upload your story of any inspiring Malay individual who contributed to our nation-building efforts. These stories are then compiled and exhibited, so others may rediscover their history and cultural identity.

Trades by Postal Code
By Nicole Chai

As Singapore’s younger generation obsesses over the new, they leave the past to wither behind them. Once-familiar occupations – cobblers, tailors and fishmongers – are but some of the trades slowly disappearing from our streets.

Observe these skilled craftsmen at work in their natural environment in Chai’s Trades by Postal Code, a photography publication that captures their humanity and creates a dialogue between people and places.

Singapore Farmers
By Ore Huiying

As large plots of land continue to make way for our nation’s development, trace the roots of farming from its traditional practices to new technologies in Singapore Farmers.

Basing her research from the National Archives of Singapore, Ore Huiying explores the past and present memories of local farming communities through curated video footage, photos and oral historical records on the geographical history of farms and the events that affected them.

Coolie Currency
By Patsy Lee & Loh Ah Keong

A long time ago, clan houses and triads in Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia paid coolies in a special currency made of Chinese porcelain.

Retrace the history of Singapore’s coolie migrants and their social culture through the use of this unique currency in the book Coolie Currency, which features the most complete collection of coolie currency for the first time ever.

The Dialectal VernacularBy Ang Song Nian & NTU ADM Students

Every time we speak in our dialects, we express a part of our cultural history.

With the use of dialects slowly declining among the younger generation, the exhibition The Dialectal Vernacular brings our attention to the accompanying disappearance of our heritage and encourages the revitalisation of dialect use.

The Politics of Defeat
by Margaret Thomas

As a founding member of the Labour Party of Singapore in 1948, the late Francis Thomas (pictured second from right) played a critical role in shaping the destiny of our nation. Catch a glimpse of Singapore’s history and its struggle for independence through Thomas’ papers and secret diaries as compiled by his daughter, Margaret.

Life Beyond The Big Top By Adele Wong

From the 1950s to the 1970s, the Tai Thean Kew Circus would tour Malaya and Singapore, entertaining people of all creeds and races. In this coffee-table book, the author recounts the storied journey of these Chinese circus performers using memories from her family and fans of the circus.

Ah Cai La Kopi
by Edmund Chen

There is nothing quite like catching up with friends, old and new, over a piping hot cup of coffee. Anchored by actor Edmund Chen, Ah Cai La Kopi is a 20-episode multilingual talk show that features the personal journeys and experiences of Singapore’s top local celebrities, personalities, businessmen and professionals.

Gema Dikir Barat Di Singapura
By Izuan Bin Mohamed Rais

From the distinctive rhythms to their heavy drumbeats, learn more about dikir barat, a Malay performance art form here that is native to the Malay Peninsula. Gema Dikir Barat Di Singapura is a coffee-table book accompanied by a 20-minute film revealing the fascinating history of this traditional musical form.

Kala Manjari: 50 Years of Indian Classical Music & Dance in Singapore
By SIFAS

Raga and Rasa – melodies and emotions expressed in the lively art forms of Indian classical music and dance – have been the bedrock of Indian identity across the centuries and around the world. These artforms have thrived and intertwined with other Asian cultures, helping Indians maintain a distinctive cultural identity in multicultural Singapore.

In the book Kala Manjari, the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society commemorates the history of Indian performingarts over the last 50 years in Singapore, revisiting the memories of artistic pioneers and collaborators while weaving them into a compelling story.

Malayalees as the Building Blocks of Singapore
by Singapore Malayalee Hindu Samajam

Hailing from the Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, Malayalee settlers now form the second largest ethnic group within the Indian community here.

Discover how the pioneer generation of Malayalees in Singapore was involved in the struggle of building our nation in Malayalees as the Building Blocks of Singapore, a documentary featuring interviews with members of their community.

Malay Pioneers of Early Singapore
By Siti Nafisah

Bold, adventurous and courageous; these are but some of the words to describe these 10 Malay pioneers and personalities (pictured Mr Othman Wok) who have contributed to the progress of Singapore since its humble fishing village days. Malay Pioneers of Early Singapore is a series of articles and webisodes celebrating and commemorating the contributions of these daring role models. (Photo courtesy of Othman Wok and family)

Sree Narayana Mission
By Sree Narayana Mission

From a diverse group with varying backgrounds to a respectable charitable organisation, trace the development of Sree Narayana Mission from its humble beginnings to the success it is today. Through this documentary, the charity shares the advances it has made in meeting the needs of the Sembawang community and Singapore.

Singapore Kopi Culture

By Invasion Studios

Before coffee mega-chains landed on our shores, Singaporeans were already discerning coffee connoisseurs. In the book Singapore Kopi Culture, Jahan Loh recounts how early migrants turned the colonial habit of afternoon tea into our own coffee-drinking culture, complete with unique coffee roasting and brewing techniques. This fascinating account of local coffee comes complete with its own pop-up coffee stall where visitors can view old coffee paraphernalia.

BUALBy Tweeq

Comprising around 13 percent of our nation’s population as the country’s second largest ethnic group, the Malays are the original settlers of Singapore.

BUAL (meaning “speak” in Malay) is an inspiring documentary series that captures the stories and contributions of trailblazers in the local Malay Muslim community; one that encourages the youth to contribute to the larger community, fostering a strong sense of belonging to our nation.

Kenangan RamadankuBy Darul Ghufran Mosque

One of the Five Pillars of Islam, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, where Muslims worldwide observe a month
of fasting. Find out what special memories Ramadan holds for our Muslim community in Kenangan Ramadanku, a series of webisodes capturing memories of the holy month from 50 different personalities over the past 50 years.

Hear Kallang RoarBy Singapore Sports Hub

For over 40 years, football fans past and present have added their voices to the cheers that shook and echoed from the walls of the National Stadium. Hear Kallang Roar commemorates the history of this national landmark, which has become a crucial part of our nation’s physical and ideological landscape.

Picturing ChinatownBy Singapore Heritage Society

The evolution of a landmark is often best captured through a camera lens. Picturing Chinatown by the Singapore Heritage Society exhibits the intimate photo essays of Chinatown, as created by participants in a series of community workshops.

The different stories told through these photographs invite the public to take part in the conversation about our discrepant national memories, divergent social experiences and a sense of dislocation.